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Smith Quarterly

Smith Quarterly

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Quiet Communities is helping people fight back against unwanted noise.

  • Smith Quarterly
  • April 21, 2025
“I love seeing that boldness in them as they play, especially in front of a packed house. They're confident and not afraid of the moment; they're running toward it. They're bringing their best selves to the team in that moment.”
Lynn Hersey, Smith head basketball coach; see “The Next Generation Takes the Court“ for the full story.
“My approach as both a senator and as a candidate is to show up everywhere, listen deeply, and then do my best to try to deliver. There are some Trump-Tammy voters out there who relate to that approach.”
Tammy Baldwin
Senator Tammy Baldwin; see “How Tammy Baldwin Wins in a Divided America” for the full story.

Scene

Poised for What’s Ahead

Rally Day in February is marked by the awarding of the Smith College Medal to distinguished alums and the eagerly awaited announcement of Commencement speakers and honorary degree recipients. At heart, though, it’s a celebration of Smith seniors, who arrive at John M. Greene Hall wearing their graduation regalia for the first time—topped with creatively decorated hats. Here, economics major Dimitra Prassa ’25, left, and classical languages and literatures major Anna Phetsomphou ’25 show off their Smithie senior pride. Continuing a tradition begun by President Sarah Willie-LeBreton, four honorary degree recipients will serve as the 2025 Commencement speakers. —Barbara Solow

Photograph by Jessica Scranton.

Spiking the Competition

Outside hitter Olivia Teske ’26 (No. 13) attacks the ball during Smith’s first-round matchup with Endicott College in the 2024 NCAA Division III Women’s Volleyball Championship. Smith would go on to win the game, which took place at Johns Hopkins University, 3–0; it was the program’s first win in NCAA tournament history. To get to the tournament, the team upset No. 4 nationally ranked Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the 2024 New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Women’s Volleyball Championship, winning it for the first time since 2005. —Connor Martin

Photograph by Marty Corcoran.

A Vision in Bloom

The mission: Arrange more than 10,000 flowering blooms for Smith’s annual Spring Bulb Show at Lyman Plant House. The designer: Allie Wornell ’25. The result: A breathtaking display of color, shape, and scent enjoyed by thousands of visitors in March. Wornell, the first student designer of the show, has been perfecting a green thumb since their first year at Smith, working as a botanic garden summer intern, student educator, and conservatory assistant. A self-directed major in plant and landscape ecologies, they also designed the 2024 Fall Chrysanthemum Show. For the spring display, Wornell placed each flower within a week of opening day. “The most important part of the show is how much joy, engagement, and curiosity it sparks in visitors,” they say. —Barbara Solow

Photograph by Jessica Scranton.

Spring Comes Into Focus

Known for its strong perfume, February daphne (Daphne mezereum) blooms in early April near Lanning Fountain. The fountain—a favorite Smithie gathering spot—honors Mary Tomlinson Lanning 1912, who died during her sophomore year from complications of typhoid fever. The sculpture is inscribed, “In memory of a beautiful life.” —Barbara Solow

Photograph by Jessica Scranton.

Data Point

51%

The increase in museum visitation after SCMA eliminated its entry fee in 2023.

Favorites: Smithie Stuff We Love

For more Smithie stuff we love this spring, check out the full list. 

Have something you want to share with the masses? Submit your project!

Fiction

“Debuting at 60 has really been a lot of fun,” says Rosa Kwon Easton ’86, whose first novel, White Mulberry, was released in 2024. The book is a fictionalized account of how Easton’s Korean grandmother navigated the reign of imperial Japan in the 1930s. Like Easton’s grandmother, the character of Miyoung in White Mulberry decides to leave occupied Korea to start a new life in Japan, where she pretends to be Japanese and makes difficult decisions to survive. White Mulberry is the culmination of more than 20 years of research, during which Easton conducted extensive interviews with her grandmother. “In straightforward prose, Easton novelizes events that will compel readers seeking themes of identity, ‘passing’ in a different culture, immigration, and occupation,” Booklist writes. By Megan Tkacy.

Read Rosa Kwon Easton’s Historical Fiction Novel “White Mulberry”

Archetypes: Exploring Smith College Special Collections

Medallion Purported to Contain a Fragment of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s Ashes, 1822

By Cheryl Dellecese

When he died in a boating accident off the Italian coast on July 8, 1822, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, then-husband of Frankenstein author Mary Shelley, was better known for his radical ideals than his poetry. After his body washed ashore 10 days later, the Shelleys’ literary expat friends, including poets Lord Byron and Leigh Hunt, created a funeral pyre on the beach for his cremation. But surprisingly, Shelley’s heart did not burn.

Hunt, perhaps overcome with grief, grabbed the heart for himself and preserved it in wine. After much persuasion, he gave the heart to Mary Shelley, who thereafter kept it wrapped in silk, surrounded by pages of her husband’s poem “Adonais: An Elegy on the Death of John Keats.” Shelley’s heart was eventually buried in the family vault.

Photograph by Jessica Scranton.

As for the 14-karat gold medallion here, it purportedly holds a fragment of Shelley’s ashes. It was given to Smith by Doheny Hackett Sessions 1927, who worked in a New York City bookshop after graduation. How she obtained it remains a mystery.

Shelley’s dramatic end only amplified his legend—but why didn’t his heart burn? Some say tuberculosis had calcified it. Others suspect the “heart” was actually his liver.

You Had to Be There

In June 2024, Lori Kramer Reznick ’78 (far left, front row) hosted the Smith College Club of Orange County’s annual summer tea in the backyard of her home in Laguna Niguel, California. She was joined by, from left, front row: Amy Oliver ’98; Elizabeth Wu ’28; Ruth Harkins ’28; Elsa Rosales Vong ’10; Robin Phillips ’91; Yvonne Park’90; and Barbara Bachman Petersen ’67; back row: Christine Shank McGraw ’93; Anne Seifert, M.A. ’65; Heather Chapman ’96; Rosemary Termini ’24; Faith Dennis Morris ’78; Lesly Kemboi ’22; Victoria Patrick Bortle ’05; Ann Mudanye ’20; and Amy Roblyer ’92. Local alums and current students were invited, and everyone contributed treats to complement the hot and iced teas on offer. “Several types of homemade scones were brought by Barbara Bachman Petersen ’67, and the weather was fabulous that day—mid-70s and sunny!” Reznick says. “Everyone had a great time catching up with one another and sharing ideas.”

Check Out Class Notes

Only at Smith

It’s no secret that Smithies love a good puzzle. While she may not have created this crossword, Kathleen “Cookie” Duncan ’24 recently made her New York Times crossword debut. Check out her puzzle.

 

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Past Reads

Check out some articles from past issues of the Smith Quarterly to see how members of the Smith community have been working to push the world forward.

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Change in Obituary Policy

The Quarterly recently revised its obituary policy. Beginning with the Summer 2024 issue, the magazine will continue publishing a comprehensive “In Memoriam” listing of deceased alums but will no longer print 100-word obituaries. The reasons for this change are addressed here.

Q: Will the names of deceased alums still be listed in the magazine?
A: Yes. The “In Memoriam” listing of deceased alums and faculty members will continue to appear in each issue of the magazine. You can view a recent example of the list in the online version of the magazine. There is also a section of Legacy.com specifically dedicated to obituaries of deceased Smith alums and other members of the Smith community, populated with notices published by a host of major newspapers. 

Q: What’s the reasoning behind eliminating 100-word obituaries?
A: Over the years, many readers, including family members of deceased alums, have expressed concerns about the fairness of the magazine’s obituary policy. They wondered why some alums are memorialized with 100-word obituaries while others are not. Magazine staff did not write these obituaries but instead published submissions from family members and friends of deceased alums. Recent data shows that only 20% of deceased alums—one in five—received an obituary in the magazine. Moreover, individuals were often frustrated by the magazine’s 100-word limit as well as the often long delay in printing obituaries because of our quarterly production schedule. We believe that running the “In Memoriam” list is the most appropriate and equitable way to recognize our deceased alums.

Q: Why is the magazine changing this policy now?
A: With the Summer 2024 issue, the magazine will debut a top-to-bottom redesign. It represents the first time the magazine has been redesigned in decades. Ceasing the publication of 100-word obituaries has been a topic of discussion for some time, but the decision to do so in tandem with the magazine’s redesign felt most appropriate. Celebrating the lives and accomplishments of our alums will continue to be the heart of the magazine’s mission.

Q: Can I still report the death of an alum?
A: Yes. The Smith College Office of Alumnae Relations accepts and fact-checks death notices from family members and friends of deceased alums. To report a death, use our web form or email the records department directly at smithierecords@smith.edu. 

Q: How else can alums honor deceased classmates?
A: Alums are welcome to submit a class note with a short reflection or memory of a deceased classmate or family member for possible inclusion in the magazine. (Please note, full obituaries will not be published in the class notes section.) We encourage class officers to publish classmates’ obituaries on Smith-hosted websites. And alums can find Smithie obituaries on the Smith community page of Legacy.com. Please be assured that the decision to run only the “In Memoriam” listing in the magazine was made after much thoughtful reflection and in the best interest of our readers.